The Swedish government has decided to include the European hedgehog in the national Red Book for the first time due to a sharp decline in the population of these animals. According to ecologists, over the past 15 years, the population of once-common inhabitants of gardens and forests has decreased by almost half in the country. **How Hedgehogs Are Being Saved in Sweden** Swedish authorities have significantly updated the list of animals, plants, and fungi that need state protection. The updated list includes more than 230 new species, among which scientists have particularly highlighted the European hedgehog. Experts emphasize that the main factor in the extinction of these animals has been the rapid deterioration of their living conditions. Hedgehogs are increasingly being killed on the roads by cars on highways, suffering from the use of dangerous chemicals in agriculture, and losing their traditional wintering places due to dense urban development. Along with hedgehogs, some species of butterflies and wild wasps that play an important role in pollinating plants will also come under strict legal protection in Sweden. Ecologists hope that the new rules will help stop the destruction of natural food chains and preserve the fragile biological diversity of northern forests. **In Which Countries Are Hedgehogs Disappearing** Sweden is far from the first European country to raise the alarm about the extinction of these once-common mammals. At the end of 2024, the status of the common hedgehog was changed in the International Red Book. The International Union for Conservation of Nature officially listed it in the category of species close to vulnerable status. Ecologists have proven that over the past ten years, the overall population of hedgehogs on the European continent has decreased by more than 30%. In the United Kingdom, the common hedgehog has long been on the list of species that are endangered. To save the animals from being killed on the roads, the British are creating special corridors in the fences of private gardens. In Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and Austria, hedgehogs are also protected by law, which prohibits taking them from the wild or destroying their nests during hibernation. It is a relief that in Latvia, hedgehogs feel quite safe.